The Physics of Gyro Scope

Chapter Four

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I am gone for years, traveling from towns and forests. I travel alone, no matter what the circumstances. I don't make friends and try to stay as unnoticed as possible. Mostly living on zap apples, (the only free fruit I can find) they start to affect me. Streaks of all kinds of color dust my mane and I feel like I age less. After what has felt like only a few years, I'm in Manehattan. It's about 3:00. Sound falls upon my tired ears. A familiar, beautiful voice echoes hauntingly through the area I'm in. Following the source of the voice, I see a alabaster Unicorn mare, with a pink and purple mane, emerald eyes and a silver bell Cutie Mark. After she finishes the last line of her song, I speak to her for the first time in years.

You've changed."

The mare whirls around and sees my face, covered by a hood.

"Your voice, it sounds so familiar." She replies,

"Well, it would. We haven't met in years."

"Who are you?"

I throw back my hood.

The mare gasps.

"Gyro Scope?"

"The one and only." I say.

"Is it........is it really you?" Sweetie Belle asks, all grown up.

"What do you think?"

"Oh it is you!" She says and tackles me with a hug. Still standing, I return the affection shyly.

"Okay, tell me the truth. How long have I been gone? Do I look overgrown?"

"'Overgrown' isn't the word I'd use. 'Shaggy' would be better."

"Hmm." I look up and see that my mane is messy and long, as well as my tail. "How long have I been gone?"

"Twelve." She studies me, "You don't look a day over twenty-two."

"I'll explain later." I say. Sweetie Belle touches my cheek, where a long scar marks my face.

"What happened? Do you want me to heal it?"

"Nah. I'll keep it. It's a battle scar, makes me look fierce." I chuckle.

"Yeah, you're so fierce." She replies sarcastically. She looks down. "Gyro, I need to tell you something."

"Tell me what?"

"I love you." She says. I don't understand her fully, but I have a pretty good idea of what she said. Years of attacks, ambushes, and accidents have sharpened my senses and reflexes. My hearing and seeing are very skilled. Movement catches my eye and I hear the slight sound of hooves. Whirling around, I see an ash gray Earth Pony with a mane the color of blood. A malevolent look marks her face. A large branch, with a diameter of two inches is coated in an ice blue aura. A moss green Unicorn and a navy blue Pegasus are at the Earth pony's side.

"Well? Your money, now!" The Pegasus barks. Sweetie Belle is about to hand over a bag of bits but I stop her.

"Gyro, they've got a stick. A very large stick." She says. The situation is perfect for what I'm about to say.

"That's not a stick," I say in an Australian accent, taking Vondr out of it's sheath faster than they trio can react, "That's a stick." the trio all look at each other, and the Unicorn comes over and whispers something in my ear.

CRACK!

I whack her head as hard as I can. She collapses and the other two grab her and run away.

"How did you-?"

"I can be very persuasive." I say. Yawning, I slide Vondr back into it's sheath. The sun is setting. A terrible setting in this situation.

"Gyro, do you know what day it is?"

"No."

"The day before Hearts and Hooves Day." She replies. I look away. My heart had become a ball of ice over the years and I hadn't developed feelings for any of the ponies in my life. But Sweetie Belle..... I was unsure of how I felt for her. I am silent. "Rook, why don't you like romance related things?" I turn away.

"I..........don't want to talk about it." I reply, my stone green eyes softening the slightest bit. An awkward silence passes in between us.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Sweetie Belle asks.

"No." I say, looking up at the stars.

"Oh." She replies, "Well, you're always free to stay with me for a little bit until you get a job." another uncomfortable silence follows. I don't know how I got my Cutie Mark, so I don't know what I'm good at.

"Y'know what? Let's stop worrying about all of this. We should just relax. It's been a long day for me, and I don't know about you, but I'm tired." I  say, laying down on the grass. My the cape on my cloak is like a blanket under my back. Sweetie Belle looks at me with her emerald eyes that are filled with thought. She may be all grown up, but she still has the eyes of a filly, filled with ideas and sometimes wonder. She lays down about a foot from me and looks up at the stars, bright and small. I try and make out the full shapes that the Greeks had made all those years ago. I can only make out Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The faint shapes of bears light up the sky. I look left, then right. Seeing that nobody is around, I put a hoof around Sweetie Belle's shoulder and pull her closer. Only because it's cold. Nothing else. Okay, maybe, just maybe something else. A tint of red appears on the white mare's face. My curved horn flickers tiredly. Sweetie plants a kiss on my cheek and returns the hug. I blink in surprise. My brow furrows. In a normal situation, this would be kind of awkward and I would be.............walking away? Telling her I'm not interested? But this is different. It just is.

"I know we haven't had a chance to talk, just the two of us," Sweetie Belle says, "Would now be a terrible time?"

"No, not at all." I reply, "What do you want to know?"

"What was your family like?"

"We were half farmers and hard workers, half techies. My dad's side were the workers. My mom's side were mostly techies. When I was six, my mom and dad divorced. Mom started dating this one guy, and he was a nice guy and all, but his son, I didn't like his son."

"Why?"

"He stole, lied, cheated and always threw fits whenever he didn't get something he wanted."

"Oh."

"The rest of my family, I had yet to find out about. I got an eidetic memory from my mom and I can repeat lots of thing. My reflexes are from my dad. Years of crashes gave me experience to be careful and very cautious. Then again, I've been more cautious than anything since I was born. Never went on any dangerous looking amusement park rides, never liked heights, never liked anything dangerous." I say, "Except for speed. Back where I'm from, we have these things called dirtbikes, they're almost like a scooter, but with two wheels and a motor. I used to crash sometimes because I was going so fast. Once, I crashed into a patch of cacti."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, it didn't feel good."

"Did you ever have a crush or a special somepony?" I know I just hit a sore spot because I can almost see his mental walls going up and his expression hardens.

"No. Not ever." I say,

"Oh. Sorry." Sweetie Belle replies.

"Don't be sorry," I sigh, "I just-never mind." the tiredness takes over and I fall asleep.

The next morning, the sun is out and the day is bright. A not very amused alabaster mare with a lavender mane is watching us. Sweetie Belle scurries to her feet.

"Rarity, this isn't what it looks like." She says quickly. I am now standing up straight, glaring at the dress maker, my horn crackling menacingly.

"Well? Aren't you going to chase me away?" I say quietly. Rarity purses her lips.

"I'm deciding whether or not I should change something about your mane and tail first." She says, looking up at my shaggy mane, that has grown out over the years, frayed and messy. I don't want to be intimidating. I would rather be normal, but I can't ever be normal, not with my lack of knowledge, who I used to be, and my technology. I rub the back of my neck nervously.

"What about after that?" I reply. I feel a forehoof come around my shoulder. Rarity sighs.

"I'll let you stay."

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Rarity trims and fusses over my mane and tail. After a lot of cutting, my mane and tail are back to normal. Long-ish and neat.

"You can't go around looking like you don't ever get your cut on Hearts and Hooves Day if you want to get a date." She says, yanking my mane with a comb.

"Ow, ow, ow." Is my only reply. After she is finished with my hair, she has me look in a mirror. It looks the same as it had before I left. "Thanks Rarity." I say. Earlier, Rarity had sent Sweetie Belle to go try something on.

"Sweetie, you can come out now!" The dressmaker calls. Sweetie comes down the steps in a beautiful dress. It's sleeveless and white with golden designs. Her tail is braided. Overall: Stunning. I turn to Rarity. Knowing what she's up to, I realize this is on purpose.

"Are you trying to.......y'know?" I say,

"You mean trying to get you two to go on a date?"

"Maaaaaybe." She replies slyly.

"This isn't subtle at all." I say, "I said this once, though since you've seem to have forgotten, I'll tell you again. I don't do romance.." The last four words come out in a raised growl.

"A meal with a friend every once in a while can't hurt." Rarity replies.

"Fine then, we'll go out." I sigh,

"Really?" The sisters all say in surprise.

"Yes. I'll go." Is my reluctant reply. "But don't expect anything fun." I don't look at any of the ponies in the room. I look down. My stone cold eyes glance around the room, absorbing little bits of information at random. Smooth paint lines the wall, probably recently painted or cleaned, an edge of the carpet is sticking up, maybe put down a few months ago, a piece of paint is chipped off near a row of racks, dresses hanging from them, probably something had been yanked off a while ago. I am getting off topic.

Way off topic.

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